White Noise
by Depraved Sociopath
Summary: A little something I cooked up one day. An alternate universe fic. What would have happened had Genma been a very different man? ABANDONED FOREVER
1. Prologue

Gah.  I hate these stupid "talks" before stories.  Feh.  
  
   
  
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The language in this is…not appropriate for most.  What I'm going for, here, is realism in the dialogue of the characters, so I'm having my characters talk the way I remember most people at my public high school talking.  I'm interjecting a lot of crude insults and seemingly inappropriate phrases, but it all goes to fit what I think of as a regular high school's routine dialogue.  If it offends you, well, don't read it, I guess.  Just giving you a heads up.  
  
   
  
******  
  
   
  
All the names, characters, and basic crap belong to someone besides me.  Just FYI, and all.  
  
   
  
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                My day has sucked so far.  I missed a point on a math exam, I lost my reading glasses, I didn't get to eat lunch because of some dumb ass presentation in psychology that ran long, and I'm five minutes late for hockey practice.  Shit, I hate this.  
  
                I grab my stick and hobble out of the locker room as fast as I can.  These fucking goalie pads suck donkey balls in terms of movement capacity.  
  
                As I glide out on the ice the coach looks over from the passing drill he's running and scowls.  "Saotome!  Late!  Ten laps around the ice!"  
  
                Fucking cock.  I drop my stick and gloves, pop off my helmet, and I'm off even before my equipment hits the ice.  
  
                I'm Ranma Saotome.  Weird name for Edina, Minnesota – rich Scandinavian land – I know, but that's just the way things panned out, I guess.  My pop is Japanese; he came over here to America just before I was born, so I've always been a U.S. citizen, though my dad wasn't for a while.  My mom died giving birth to me, so I never knew her.  Sucks, but shit happens, you know?  Ya just gotta deal with it.  
  
                Anyway, I go to Edina High School (big surprise), and I'm on the hockey team (another shocker).  I'm their star goalie; I've never let a puck past me in my time in the net.  Well, not in a real game, anyway.  I've already been offered full-ride scholarships at, like, every college with a hockey team, and I'm only in tenth grade!  I'm not trying to brag, really; I'm just stating a fact.  Besides, I don't give a rat's ass about any of those stupid-ass sports schools, anyway.  I'm trying to get into a good liberal arts school, preferably close to home – Macalaster would be a dream come true.  
  
                No one cares about that shit, though.  Sorry.   
  
                Anyway, my dad works in some kind of appraisal firm, or some shit like that.  I don't really know what he does, exactly, but he makes enough money for me and my younger sister, Rei – Rei was born from a woman he married when I was one.  He needed someone in his life to help get over the death of Mom, I guess, so he married quickly and had Rei when I was two.  They later divorced, which was probably good, since the lady died in a car accident not three months after the divorce was finalized.  If his wife had died again, I don't know what Pop would have done.  Anyway, my sister, Rei, is in the eighth grade, obviously, and she's not the most emotionally stable person you'd ever meet.  Oh, she has her share of friends, but she's really shy, has low self-esteem, and she doesn't really get approached by any members of the opposite sex.  Not that she's not beautiful, because she is; if I can say this about my sister, I think she's one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen.  It's just that her personality around strangers turns off most of the guys in her grade.  
  
                Fuck, I'm rambling on about shit y'all don't care about, again.  Sorry, man.  
  
                I'm not a typical jock, though I do play a lot of sports.  I'm really trying to get into a good liberal arts school, like I said, so that sets me apart from the general "Football…beer…sex…repeat" stereotype of high school jocks straight off.  Further distancing myself from the brainless drone model is the fact that my school record is impeccable.  I've never gotten a detention, never missed a day of school that wasn't because of a contagious virus, and I haven't ever been so much as chastised for disruptive behavior in class.  My cumulative GPA is 4.0 on a 4.0 scale.  
  
                My police record is nonexistent, though that's not to say that I haven't done anything illegal.  I'm just smart enough not to get caught.   
  
                Have you ever actually stopped to think about the fact that basically EVERYTHING in a construction site is unguarded?  It's amazing how simple it is to, say, cut the wire fences surrounding a construction site and steal shit.  I think I've got enough shit to make a building myself!  Well, except for the heavy machinery, at least.   
  
                So that's about it, really.  I'm trying my ass off in school because I want to get into a good college, I'm playing sports because I enjoy them, my friends are…unique…and I'm basically your average high school student.  Fun, huh?  
  
                I skid to a stop on the ice next to my gear, finished with my laps, and put it back on.  I look over to the coach.  "Yo!  Coach!  Done!"  
  
                He looks back and smiles ruefully, shaking his head as he looks at his watch.  Oh, like he's really surprised I made ten laps around the ice in less than two minutes.  It's not like I've never done it before.  "Okay, Saotome!  Get in the net!  I'll have the third line warm you up."  
  
                I smirk as I glide over to the net and get my bearings.  'Warm me up,' he says.  Right.  Like I need warming up.  I crouch and bring my leg pads together as the third line drops out of the passing drill and approaches me, their pucks gliding smoothly along with their sticks.  "Bring it on," I say, my smile hidden by my mask.  
  
                Predictable, really.  I notice Jimmy winding up and sigh.  He's always trying for the slap shot, high and right.  I catch it in my glove absently, waiting for Jeff to take his shot – low and to the right.  Not even a challenge.  
  
                I lazily stop all the pucks streaking toward the goal, thinking about tonight.  Shit; I have a shit load of homework to do.  Fuckin'…calculus, honors biology, psychology – GOD that presentation was boring!  I'm surprised I stayed awake! – English, and basically everything else, too.  Damn it.  
  
                That went quickly.  I snap back to reality as I realize that everyone's skating over to the coach.  I follow suit, not wanting more laps around the ice.  Laps aren't hard, but they're a nuisance at least.  
  
                "Okay, we're gonna scrimmage today.  We've got a big game against Eden Prairie this weekend, so we've got to be ready!  First line, third line, you're playing each other.  Second line, split yourselves in two and wait in the box; you're replacements.  Ranma, you're with third line."  I smile.  I'm always with the worst line when we scrimmage.  "Bryan," the coach continues, "you're with first line.  All right?  Let's go!"  
  
                'Well,' I think to myself as I position myself in the goal again, 'at least I've got a girlfriend.'  I smile as I think of my girlfriend, Helen, barely noticing the face-off happening almost directly in front of me.  
  
   
  
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I drop my stuff in the trunk of my car.  God, I'm glad I'm old for my grade.  I'm 16, so I'm old enough to have my driver's license, which I am and always will be eternally grateful for.  I don't have time for a job, which is unfortunate, but my pop is rich enough to pay for my insurance and gas.  My car is an old Volkswagen Jetta that I found for an AMAZING price somewhere up by Orno.  My dad helped me buy that, too.  I'm a little bitter about being so dependent on my pop, but it's no big deal, really.  In a couple of years, I'm gonna be going to college, and that's good enough for me.  
  
                I jump in the driver's seat and start the engine.  The radio is already on – I always listen to music – and I hear that my favorite radio station, 93X, is right in the middle of one of my favorite songs: "Ænima" by Tool.  "Shit yeah," I say as I back out of the parking space and shift into first.  
  
                It's night already, since it's the middle of December, but the time is only 6:30 PM.  "Tomorrow's the last day of school before Christmas vacation," I reassure myself quietly as I pull out onto Valley View Road.  A smile touches my face as I turn onto Tracy Ave. and continue on toward my home.  
  
                "Every fucking time," the radio blasts, "every fucking day.  Learn to swim, see you down in Arizona Bay."  Fucking, I love this band, man.  Good shit.   
  
After a nice, short drive, I pull into my driveway and turn off the car.  Stepping outside, I smirk as the cold assaults my body, penetrating under the jeans and sweatshirt I'm wearing.  I love winter; I was raised in Minnesota, so I've always loved winter.  You have to if you live in Minnesota.  I mean, there are only two seasons – winter and road construction.  I quickly open my trunk and grab my backpack before closing it and heading up to my house.   
  
                It's a nice house, my family's and mine.  It's not the biggest thing in the world, but 'tis no small house by any means.  Two levels beside the ground floor and a basement, not to mention an attic with more than enough space to store everything we need to store.  The house is a cream color, and the shutters are a nice shade of green.  I don't know anything about colors or matching or fashion or anything, but I like the way my home looks.   
  
                I step into the house via the garage entrance and yell, "I'm home!"  Shucking off my shoes, I make sure not to get any slush or snow on the tile floor.  Dad hates it when I do that.   
  
                I can hear the television on downstairs, but I don't have time to see who it is, let alone go downstairs and watch with them.  I bound up the stairs two at a time, right into the kitchen.  Tossing my bag onto the counter, I open the freezer and root around, trying to find a frozen pizza.  "Ranma!" I hear my sister yell.  
  
                "What's up?" comes my reply.  Yes!  The pizza comes out of the freezer and the door closes.  Pizza is good.  
  
                My little sister walks into the room, her short, brown hair hanging around her face like an oval picture frame.  I swear, whoever marries her is gonna be a lucky, lucky man.  "Could you help me with my math?  I really don't get something."  
  
                Popping the pizza into the oven, I smile, a small, affectionate smile.  "Sure, Rei.  What don't you get?"  I grab the timer and set it before following my sister up to her room.   
  
                Her room is pretty plain: a bed, a dresser, a computer, and a television and VCR sitting on the desk in the corner.  Other than the closet, there's nothing else in the room.  To each his own, I guess.  "We're doing triangle proofs, and I just don't get how to do this stuff.  I mean, I understand the Pythagorean theorem, and all, but the rest of it just confuses me."  She sits down and looks at her book confusedly.  
  
                I chuckle and begin to explain.  
  
                After a number of minutes, the timer goes off and I smile sheepishly.  "Sorry, Rei, but that's my dinner.  Do you get this stuff now?"  
  
                "Not really, but you've helped a little.  I guess I'll just head into school early tomorrow to ask for some help."  My sister smiles sweetly and bats her eyelashes at me.  "Could you drive me to school when you go?"   
  
                I sigh and shake my head.  The middle school and high school are connected, but the high school starts about forty minutes earlier.  "Rei, you don't even have to ask.  Just be ready, okay?  I can't afford to wait."  I jack a hand over my shoulder in an informal parting gesture and I head back downstairs to wolf down my pizza and clean up.  
  
                Okay.  It's time for homework.  I crack out my calculus book and am about to start when I hear my father's voice behind me.  
  
                "I need to talk to you, Ranma," my pop says in Japanese.  When he raised my sister and I, he insisted that we know both English and Japanese, for some reason, but I'm not complaining.  It'll just make me stand out that much more when I'm applying to college, right?  
  
                "Yes, father?" I reply, using the most formal form of Japanese I know.  
  
                His smile is affectionate as he sits down next to me.  "Son, I need to talk to you about…the future."  His face drops a bit as he says this, but he smiles again and continues before I can ask what is wrong.  "Son, if something ever happens to me, you need to know that there's someone I have asked to take care of you."  
  
                This is definitely a strange conversation.  Pop never talks about this kind of stuff.  "Pop, nothing's gonna happen to you, and you know it."  
  
                "Just listen, son," he says softly but forcefully.  "If something happens to me, I have arranged for you to go and live with one of my friends in Japan.  I know you love it here in America, Ranma, but there's no one else to take care of you, and you can't legally take care of yourself."  
  
                I frown.  I don't want to leave America, true, but nothing is gonna happen to pop.  "It's okay with me, Pop. I mean, I don't really have a say in it anyway; besides, nothing's gonna happen to you."   
  
                My father smiles and his eyes glisten with unshed tears.  "Ranma, let's both hope that is so."  He reaches over and hugs me, and I awkwardly return the embrace.  Man, my dad's acting weird.  "Well," he says after a couple of minutes, "I'll let you get back to your homework."  He quietly leaves the room and heads upstairs, probably to bed.  
  
                "What was that about?" I whisper to myself, switching back to English.  I shrug it off and hunker down about my books.  "Whatever.  I've got homework to do."  
  
   
  
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                "Rei!" I shout.  "Let's go!  I told you, I can't be late!"  She always does this type of thing.  I smile a bit, realizing that it's just another thing about my sister I find endearing.  
  
                She rounds the bend at the top of the stairs and practically leaps down all of them.  "Gomen nasai gozaimasu," she apologizes politely in Japanese, bowing at the waist.   
  
                I snort playfully and grab a strap on her backpack, dragging her outside with me.  "No problem," I say, following her lead and speaking in Japanese, "but we do have to move fairly quickly."  When we reach the car, I quickly open up the back door and throw my backpack in, my sister following suit on the passenger side of the car.  After a few moments, we are both buckled in and on our way to school.  "Ænima" is playing again, and I chuckle.  They must really like playing this song, or something.  Not that I mind, of course.  I turn up the volume a bit and smile as Rei positively glares at me.  "What?" I shout over the music.  "You don't like music played at the proper volume?"  
  
                "As long as it's music, no," she says calmly after she turns the radio off.  "You know, you should really start listening to real music, Ranma.  That stuff will rot your brain."  
  
                I roll my eyes as we take a right turn.  "Okay, whatever.  Like your stupid-ass boy band shit is any better.  At least these people write their own music."  I mentally add a point to my own scorecard as Rei again shoots hate beams at me.  "Just kidding.  I don't mind your music all that much, honestly.  But you have to realize that I like everything, which includes some stuff you really don't like."  
  
                "I realize that, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it."  She smirks as I concede the point to her.  "But some of the stuff you listen to isn't all that bad, either, you know."  I add yet another point to my mental scorecard.  I'm still up two to one, and that fact makes me smile.  
  
                As we turn onto Valley View Road, we see a mass of cars and busses waiting at the intersection up by the schools.  "Y'see," I say as I point at the collection of metal and carbon dioxide, "this is why we have to leave early."  God, I'm up three to one, now.  Go me!  Before she can say the same thing she does every time this happens – "Oh, shut the fuck up, Ranma; you know damn well I know that, too!" – I remember about what Pop had been talking with me, and I explain the conversation to Rei.  
  
                "Hmmm," she says as she stares out the window at the snow on the ground.  It really is a beautiful day.  "I wonder what's up with him?"  Looking back to me, she adds, "What do you think about leaving America, Ranma?  I mean, not that anything's gonna happen to dad; he's just a financial analyst.  But supposing something DID happen, how would you feel about it?"  
  
                I consider that question for a moment before responding.  "I wouldn't like it, true, but it wouldn't be the end of the world.  I mean, we know Japanese, right?  So we wouldn't have to worry about a language barrier.  Dad's been drilling traditional Japanese customs into our heads since we were born, too, so we won't have to worry about cultural differences, either."  
  
                "But what about your friends?" asks Rei, frowning.  "Wouldn't you hate to leave them behind?  And what about Helen?"  
  
                I grimace.  "I'd hate leaving both my friends and Helen behind, but if it had to be done, I'd do it.  We can't live on our own, no matter what we want, because the law bends for no man, and Pop doesn't really have any friends, so the only option is to go stay with his friend in Japan."  I glance over to my sister and smirk.  "Nothing's gonna happen, though, right?"  She nods.  "Right.  So all you and I have to do is worry about the rest of today, and then it's Christmas vacation!"  I smile and let out a yell of triumph.   
  
                Rei smiles and leans over to give me a hug.  "Just so you know, I love you."  
  
                I'm confused, but I hug her back anyway.  "I love you, too, Rei.  What brought this on?"  
  
                "What?  Can't a girl love her brother?" she says with an innocent expression on her face.  
  
                I chuckle and step on the gas as we finally get through the sea of cars and onto school grounds.  I pull into my parking spot, making sure that my parking permit is easily visible, and hop out of the car.  "See you later, Rei!" I call as she grabs her stuff and walks toward her section of the building.  I reach into the back seat and grab my backpack, then lock my car up and head towards school.  I see my friend, Dan, walking up from his own car, and I yell "Hey!" to him.  He waves back and I jog to reach him.  "Yo.  What's up?"  
  
                Dan is tall; he is 6' 5" at the very least.  He's bulky, too.  The man is a beast.  I can hardly believe that he's a pacifist and that he doesn't really like sports all that much.  Talk about a waste of good potential.  "How's it going?" he says in greeting.  
  
                "Just fine and dandy," I reply with a nod to another friend of mine.  I open a door to the school and am immediately assaulted by warm air and the dull roar of voices in the background.  "What've you got to do today?"  
  
                Dan snorts and follows me into the building.  "Nothing.  Absolutely nothing."  
  
                That surprises me.  "Nothing?"  
  
                "Nothing," he responds again.  "All my classes are just watching movies today."  
  
                I scowl.  "Man, you suck.  I've got a bunch of in-class assignments to do today."  
  
                He chuckles as we reach our lockers, which are incidentally right next to each other.  "Maybe you shouldn't have signed up for so many hard classes, then."  
  
                "Yeah, you say that now, but when I'm making millions of dollars and have my PhD., don't come whining to me about your poverty, okay?"  
  
                Dan just rolls his eyes and slams his locker.  "Right.  Whatever."   
  
                I chuckle and close my own locker, hefting the books I'll need for my first few classes.  "You know Frank is gonna score us some nitric acid?" I ask as we wind our way to the lunchroom, where our little group of friends meets every morning.  
  
                "So what?"   
  
                "Well," I say, scanning to make sure that no teachers are near enough to hear, "since sulfuric acid is pretty easy to come by, that means we'll be able to nitrate stuff."   
  
                "…So, what does that mean?" he asks as he hops onto a lunch table next to Frank.  
  
                "Well, with a mixture of the two acids, we can nitrate certain things, like I said.  That means that they'll be extremely…flammable would be a good word.  But that's not why I'm excited about it.  What I'm excited about is the fact that we'll be able to make nitroglycerin."  I smirk as Dan rolls his eyes.  
  
                "You're looking to blow your fucking arm off, you know."  He turns to Frank.  "You're not actually gonna do this shit, are you?"  
  
                "Hell yeah!" he smiles.  "This is gonna be the fucking shit!  All we need now is drugs and womens, and we'll be set!"  Frank turns to me.  "I'll be over tomorrow with the shit, okay?"  
  
                I nod.  I open my mouth to say something, but the warning bell rings, cutting me off.  Fucking bell.  "See ya later," I say instead, turning away and heading toward my first period class.  
  
   
  
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                Free!  I'm done for two whole weeks!  Mega score.  I say bye to Aaron and head back to my car.  I'm fucking out of here!  
  
                I start the engine and turn the radio on.  "Rooster," I say with a satisfied smile.  "Alice in Chains is always good."   
  
                When I pull into my driveway, "The Memory Remains," by Metallica, is playing.  I hop out of the car and grab my backpack.  "FREE!" I shout to the heavens.  Hell yeah.  I'm gonna be able to goof off for two whole weeks.  Mega super score.  
  
                I whip out my house key and unlock the door.  I'm SO home.  I close the door and take off my shoes.  "Well, what should I do now?  I could always play some video games.  Nah, not now.  I know!"  I head upstairs to my own room and flop down on the bed.  "Sleep!"  Sleep is good.  As I roll over, though, I notice something on my pillow.  "What the…?"  I sit up and look at my pillow.  A letter is resting on it with my name on the envelope.  Strange.  I pick it up and extract the piece of paper inside.  What could this be?  I open the piece of paper.  Hmm.  It's in Japanese.  It must be from my dad.  My eyes begin to widen as I read it.  
  
   
  
                Ranma,  
  
                By now, I'm probably dead.  I'm sorry.  I know this wasn't expected, but it had to be.  I've been involved with the yakuza – the Japanese mafia, if you didn't know – for many years.  When I came here to Minnesota, it was on an assignment for the Yakuza.  I was told to come here and handle overseas accounts, as well as to make sure that they didn't have any trouble with local gangs and whatnot.  I did my job, and I did it well.  After a couple of years, I became aware of a gang known as the Latin Kings.  They were severely hampering the business of my associates, so they asked me to deal with them.  I personally coordinated several raids on Latin King hideouts and safe houses, and in doing so virtually destroyed Latin King business in the city of Minneapolis.  They learned of my name just recently, and they contacted me, saying that if I wanted you and Rei to be safe, I had to give myself up.  They said that they had my house watched 24 hours a day, and gave me pictures of you and your sister to prove it.  I wasn't allowed to even try to contact my business associates, lest they hurt you and your sister.  I had to go, Ranma.  I had to.  I could never hurt either of you two.  If I wanted you and your sister to be safe, I had to go.  It truly was the only way.  
  
You and your sister will have to go to Japan to live with my old friend, Soun Tendo.  I spoke with him before, and he knows you're coming, but thinks I am accompanying you.  I wrote a letter for Soun, as well, explaining some things to him.  You will find it in the cupboard above the dishwasher along with the plane tickets for you and Rei and the information you'll need to access the accounts I left for you and Rei.  That's your inheritance.  It's a lot of money, Ranma, but don't waste it all.  I've worked hard to make sure you could get that money.  
  
Please don't mention anything in this letter to Soun, save that I am dead.  You should burn this letter after you read it, too.  
  
The plane tickets are for a flight tonight at midnight.  You need to be on that plane, son.  Tell no one where you're going or even when; I have no illusion as to whether or not these thugs would kidnap or kill you despite my sacrifice.  All I have done is bought you time, and I can only hope that you will be able to make it to safety.  Please do not throw my sacrifice away, son.  Take your sister and run.  Run to Japan, and never look back.  I'm sorry; I know you wanted to go to college in the States, but please do not ever return.  No amount of luck or skill can save you from an organization such as the Latin Kings, not even the help of my business associates.  What happened to me is proof of that.  
  
Ranma, I know this is not something you wanted to happen, and believe me, it is not something I wanted to happen, either.  I love you, Ranma.  Tell Rei that I love her, too, and that I'm sorry.  Tell her I'm sorrier than she'll ever know.  
  
                I know you'll do well, Ranma.  I know you'll honor your family name.   
  
                Your loving father,  
  
                Genma Saotome  
  
   
  
                I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand.  I'm crying?  Yeah, I'm crying.  Damn it, Pop…  
  
                I crumple the piece of paper in my hands and hurl it across the room.  I can't believe he would do this to me!  I can't believe he would!  He was a financial analyst, not some yakuza businessman!   
  
                I sit on my bed and put my head in my hands, tears leaking between my fingers.  Fuck you, Pop.  Fuck you.  
  
                I hear the door downstairs slam and Rei's voice.  "I'm home!" she yells.  I quickly wipe my eyes and try to compose myself.  Wait.  What time is it?  I look at the clock.  It's already been a half an hour?  Shit.  
  
Walking across the room, I bend down to pick up the last thing my father will ever write to me.  "Don't worry, Pop," I say as I flatten out the letter.  "I won't let you down."  
  
   
  
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Tell me what you think, y'all.  That's all I ever ask, really.  
  
   
  
   
  
A Depraved Sociopath with Psychotic Tendencies 


	2. Ein unbehaglich Gruß

Here we go.  Brace yourselves!

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Almost all of the names in this story do not belong to me.  I am making no profit off of this, and suing me would just waste a lot of time.

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                Rei's red eyes stared blankly ahead as she and Ranma exited the customs area.  They had applied for a 90-day vacation visa, and would have to take care of their more permanent authorization later.

Tokyo-Narita airport was bustling with activity, filled with lively people going about their business, but the two siblings who exited the plane seemed to suck that liveliness out of the air.  Their haggard faces showed them to have been under a lot of stress, and Rei's eyes were red, betraying that she had recently been crying.  She rubbed at her eye while Ranma looked around, trying to find the people that were supposed to meet them.  They were both wearing black backpacks, though Ranma's was larger.

                The two walked to a bank of seats slowly, Rei rubbing at her eyes and Ranma scanning the crowd.  "Have a seat, Rei," Ranma softly said in English.  "I need to go find the Tendos, okay?"  Rei's eyes again began to tear up, and her body started to tremble.  Ranma sighed and embraced his sister.  "Rei, it'll be okay.  We…we'll be okay.  I'll make sure of it."

                The girl just cried on his shoulder, drawing glances from various passersby.  Eventually, Rei sniffed and said, "I know we will, big brother, but I don't want…I…I don't want to be okay if it isn't with Dad."  She started crying again, and Ranma could do nothing but offer her a shoulder on which to sob.  

                After a few minutes, Rei sniffed again and sat back up.  She wiped at her eyes, trying to wipe away the tears, but she was just succeeding in spreading the wetness around.  Ranma stood and checked his pockets for a tissue, but couldn't find one.  He noticed an attractive young woman in a plain dress sitting not two seats away from them, and he asked her, "I'm sorry, miss, but would you happen to have a tissue?"

                The woman blinked at him, but didn't say anything.

                After a moment, the boy realized what he'd done.  He mentally kicked himself and switched to Japanese.  "I'm sorry, I forgot where I was.  Would you happen to have a tissue?"

                This time, the woman smiled, and he was struck with how much more attractive that made her seem.  "Sure."  While she opened her bag and searched for a tissue, Ranma noticed with whom she was sitting.  Two girls that appeared to be younger than her and an older man sat to her left, and by the way that they resembled each other, he assumed they were family.  Probably a father taking his three daughters for a trip, or something.  "Ah!  Here we are!" exclaimed the attractive woman.  She turned back to him, and he noted how her long, brown hair shone in the dim light of the terminal.  She extracted a tissue from her bag and proffered it to Ranma.  "There you go."

                "Thank you very much," he said as he bowed slightly at the waist.  He turned to his sister, then, and proceeded to dry her tears.  "Rei," he whispered to her, switching back to English, "please don't cry.  I don't want to be without father, either, but crying about it isn't going to do any good.  We have to suck it up and go on with our lives."

                Rei snorted as Ranma finished drying her face.  "Just because we have to go on with our lives doesn't mean that we can't mourn the passing of our father, Ranma."  

                The oldest Saotome alive was about to respond when he caught what the attractive woman from whom he had borrowed the facial tissue was saying.  "Where are they, Father?  They weren't on the plane."

                The older man turned to the woman and sighed.  "I don't know.  Maybe we missed him?"  
                One of the two other girls spoke up, one with brown hair down to her jaw line.  "Haven't you known this guy since you were kids?" 

                "Yes, well, I haven't seen Genma in almost twenty years, so…"

                "Excuse me," Ranma interjected.  "I'm sorry for interrupting, but did you just say that you were waiting for someone named Genma?"  At the man's nod, the boy asked, "Genma Saotome?"  A second nod.  "You're Soun Tendo?"  A slightly nervous nod, but a nod nonetheless.  Ranma sighed.  Well, at least they wouldn't have to search for them.  He stood up straight and helped Rei to do the same.  "Hi.  I'm Ranma Saotome, and this is my sister, Rei.  We're the people you're waiting for."  He and Rei bowed politely, though the girl looked like she was going to cry again.

                All four of the Tendos stood up and bowed respectfully back.  "Hello!" smiled the woman with whom Ranma had spoken earlier.  "I'm Kasumi Tendo.  What a coincidence that we sat next to each other and didn't even know it!"  Her smile was unwavering, and Ranma saw that the woman was even more attractive than he had first thought.  She was shapely, with an ample bosom and curvaceous hips, and her long, brown hair seemed to accentuate her cheeks in a way that could only be described as beautiful.  

                "I'm Nabiki Tendo," said the one with short, brown hair before their father could speak.  She was attractive, but not in the traditional sense, like her sister.  Her face was nothing if not pretty, with large, liquid brown eyes and a jaw line emphasized by her hairstyle, but her eyes held a calculating look, and her stance suggested that she was used to taking the upper hand in situations.  She was wearing a pair of jeans with a belt cinched above her waist, serving to accentuate her hips, and a black shirt that was tight enough to show that she had something above average to offer in the way of chest, but not so tight as to appear slutty.  

                Again preempting the father, the third girl spoke up.  "Akane Tendo.  Nice to meet you."  Her long, blue-black hair was as long as her older sister's, but while Kasumi wore hers in a ponytail, Akane let her sideburns hang down in front and had a bow fastened in her hair at the back of her head.  She was wearing a simple sundress, which did nothing to make her look older, but did make her decidedly cute, if not beautiful.  Her face was open and inviting, and her smile made Ranma think of Helen, his girlfriend back in Minnesota.  Her breasts were smaller than both her sisters', about the same size as Rei's.  Her hips were wide, childbearing hips, and her build was athletic, suggesting that she played sports or worked out.

                "Ahem," Soun cleared his throat.  "I am Soun Tendo, and these are my three daughters, Kasumi, 19, Nabiki, 17, and Akane, 16."  Each girl nodded her head at her name.  Soun looked as if he were going to say something else, but he stopped, cocked his head to one side, and asked, "Where is your father, Ranma?"

                Ranma closed his eyes as he heard Rei stifle a sob.  Putting his right arm around his younger sister and drawing her to him, he pulled a letter from his pocket with his left arm and handed it to the man.  "This should explain everything," he managed to squeeze past the lump in his throat.  He was lecturing Rei on not crying, and he was about to cry himself?  No, he had to be strong, for Rei.  She needed someone to be her anchor.

                Kasumi's smile turned to a worried frown as the young girl named Rei started to sob on her brother's shoulder.  What was wrong?  "Rei?  Are you alright?" she asked.  Rei shook her head against her brother's chest, but did not stop crying.  Kasumi glanced at her sisters, who gave her confused looks in return.  Their father was busy reading the letter Ranma had given him.  "Does it have to do with your father?" asked the older girl worriedly.  She hoped that nothing had happened to Mr. Saotome.  

                "Kasumi," said Ranma softly, with his eyes closed, "our father is dead."  Rei's sobs were renewed, and Ranma put both of his arms around the girl, trying to comfort her.  He opened his eyes and looked at Kasumi, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.  "I'm sorry about this, but the wound is still fresh, if you know what I mean.  I don't think Rei really wants to talk about it just yet."  He looked down to the brown-haired girl and began to stroke her hair, murmuring reassuring words.

                The sisters Tendo were speechless.  They looked to one another, eyes wide with shock, before Kasumi turned back to the Saotome children and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."  

Akane and Nabiki made similar apologies before Nabiki asked, "Ranma, I don't mean to be rude, but if your father just recently died, why are you here?"

"Because they're going to live with us now," replied Soun soberly, folding the letter and slowly putting it back into the envelope.

+++++++

                Ranma walked back down the stairs and into the dining room.  "I'm sorry about that, but Rei's exhausted, both emotionally and physically.  That plane ride isn't short, you know," he said with a tired smile.  The boy sat down at the table, across from Soun, with Nabiki on his left and Akane on his right.  Kasumi, just then, walked into the room with tea, poured each of them a cup, and sat down next to her father.

                Soun spoke up first.  "Ranma, I'm sorry for your father's death, I truly am, but how did it happen?"  He placed the letter on the table.  "I'm afraid this says nothing about his death except that he is, in fact, dead."

                Akane scowled at her father.  "Dad!  He doesn't want to talk about it!"

                Ranma weakly smiled again, saying, "No, Akane, it's alright."  The haggard-looking boy turned to Soun.  "Well, he…no, I can't tell you," he whispered with a grimace.  "His final words to me were to ask that I not tell you.  I'm sorry, but I can't."  He shook his head sadly.  "I'm sorry, Mr. Tendo."

                Nabiki frowned.  Something was up with the situation.  Genma asked his son not to tell his oldest friend about how he died?  Something was definitely up.  "Well," she said, shifting the area of focus, "what can you tell us about yourself?  I mean, you are going to be living with us, after all." 

                Kasumi smiled, turned her head and spoke.  "Yes!  Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself, Ranma?  It would be nice to get to know you."  Her smile again made Ranma think of how nice her lips were.

                The Saotome boy shook his head.  What was he thinking?  He needed some sleep.  "Sure, I guess.  What would you like to know?"

                "Well," started Kasumi, "how about what you like to do in your free time?"

                Ranma snorted.  "I didn't really have any free time back home, what with the sports, and school, and all."  He cocked his head to one side, as if thinking.  "No, that's not really true.  I did have a lot of free time, it's just that I played a lot of sports, so I didn't get any relax time.  I tend to forget that I was voluntarily in the sports programs, sometimes."  He grinned tiredly.

                Akane spoke up for the first time since they arrived at the Tendo home.  "What sports do you play?"

                Ranma thought for a second before responding.  "Baseball, soccer, American football, basketball, golf, tennis, swimming, track and field, hockey, rugby, and karate, though I had to give that up quite a while ago due to the rest of my sports.  That's pretty much it, I guess."  He shrugged at the astounded stares he received.  "Well, I like sports."

                Akane smiled.  "You practiced karate?"

                "Yup," came Ranma's reply.

                "I practice martial arts, too.  Wanna go out back and spar?"  Her eyes held an eager light in them.  Maybe he'd be a challenge!  From what he said and how he looked, he was pretty athletic, so he might not be lying about all the sports he played.  If that were true, well, Akane would have someone with whom to practice!  Even though he was a boy, she couldn't fairly well hate him, because his father had just died.  She felt more sorry for him than anything else.

                Ranma again weakly smirked.  "No, Akane, not right now.  I'm kind of drained."  He didn't explain what had drained him; he didn't want the Tendos to realize just how deeply his father's death had affected him.

                "That's okay, Ranma," Kasumi cooed gently.  "I'm sure Akane understands."

                Before the woman could go on, though, her father spoke up again.  "Ranma, why didn't you have too much luggage?  You're coming to live with us; you brought surprisingly little for such a permanent arrangement."

                Ranma again sighed, but this time, his shoulders slumped, and he looked at least ten years older.  "We didn't have much time to pack, really.  When…Dad died, he told me in a letter that I had to be on a midnight flight out of Minnesota.  So I threw what I thought I needed together, helped my sister pack, and we left.  We didn't have time to bring the rest of our stuff."

                "Oh, my!" Kasumi exclaimed.  "You mean that you just abandoned your things?"

                "What do you think I should have done, huh?" Ranma snapped.  "Do you think I should have risked my life and taken three weeks to pack all my shit into boxes and ship them here?"  The room went abruptly still, and Ranma rubbed the bridge of his nose.  "I'm sorry, Kasumi.  I shouldn't have snapped at you.  It's just that I've been run ragged these past twenty or so hours, and I'm really on a bit of an edge right now.  I hope you can forgive me."

                Kasumi's smile seemed to warm the room, taking away the chill that Ranma's words had brought.  "It's okay, Ranma.  I understand.  It's okay."

                "I'm sorry," said Ranma as he stood up, "but I'm very tired.  Could I please head upstairs and go to bed?  I'm sorry again, but as I said, I'm exhausted."

                "Sure, Ranma," said Kasumi brightly.  "I'm sorry for keeping you down here when you were so tired.  You remember where the futons are?"  He nodded, and she continued, "Well, goodnight then, Ranma."  As he bade the room goodnight and headed upstairs to the guest room, Kasumi turned to her father and spoke in low tones.  "Father, are they really staying with us?"

                "Yes, daughter, they are."  Soun nodded.  "Genma was my oldest and dearest friend, and I will not turn his family out into the cold."

                Nabiki spoke next.  "Well, how are we going to pay for this?  I mean, we barely squeeze by as it is!"  Her arms were crossed beneath her breasts, and her face held a stern expression.  "I'm betting that they're not gonna contribute much to the daily expenses."

                "Actually," the father said with a smile, "they will be able to help with the daily expenses.  It seems that my old friend set up some accounts for the children.  They have more than enough money to help out if needed."

                Nabiki seemed placated, but only a little.  "Still, how are we going to accommodate two more people in the house?"

                Kasumi placed a hand on Nabiki's shoulder.  "Little sister, we have enough room for those two, and you know it.  Besides, all you have to worry about is school.  I'm the one that has to worry about cleaning up after them, and even I'm not fretting too much about it."  She smiled.  "It'll all work out fine."

                Akane spoke after Kasumi was done.  "I don't know about this guy, Ranma.  Rei I have no problem with, but Ranma makes me feel uneasy.  I can't really hate him, even though he is a boy," that last word was laced with contempt, "but I can't really relax too easily around him, either.  He just makes me feel…awkward."

                Nabiki reached over and pinched her little sister's cheek.  "Aw, it sounds like Akane has a crush on someone!" she teased.

                Akane's face flushed with anger and embarrassment.  "Nabiki, you KNOW how I feel about boys!  I would never have a crush on one of those disgusting perverts!"

                "Akane," said Soun sternly, "I will have none of that.  Ranma is going to be living here, and I want all of you girls to treat him with respect."  He made eye contact with each of the girls before sighing as he stood up.  "Well, I believe that's all we have to talk about just now."  He walked off, leaving the three females alone.

                "I think he's kind of cute, actually," said Nabiki with a smirk as soon as her father was gone.  "I wonder what my chances are with him?"

                "Nabiki!" exclaimed Kasumi.  "You shouldn't say things like that!"

                "Yeah," agreed the youngest Tendo.  "What if he's a pervert or something?"

                Nabiki just smiled.  "I was just kidding, guys.  Geez."

+++++++

                Rei woke up and groggily looked around.  She saw that Ranma was lying next to her, and noticed that her head was pillowed on her brother's chest.  She giggled and kissed Ranma's cheek.  She remembered waking up during the night and crying, and she remembered Ranma soothing and comforting her.  He was so sweet.  Whatever woman ended up marrying him would be a lucky woman.

                She disentangled herself from her sibling and stood up, stretching.  Opening her suitcase, she pulled out a bathrobe and quickly stripped.  After she had cinched the robe around her waist, she grabbed up her shampoo and soap, donned her slippers, and hesitantly stepped out into the hallway.

                As she exited the room, she noticed out a window at the end of the hall that it was early morning.  At least she was already acclimatizing to the time difference.  Peeking around the corner, she looked downstairs to make sure that no one was ascending them.  

                Daintily, Rei stepped downstairs, and turned the corner into the living room.  She saw Kasumi cheerily setting out breakfast and shyly cleared her throat.  When Kasumi looked up, she spoke.  "Um…I'm sorry, but…um…where is…the…um…bathroom?"  She HATED meeting new people!  Rei just wished that she was good at talking to people.

                Kasumi smiled at the girl's obvious nervousness.  "It's down the hall and to the right, Rei.  It's the first door on your right."  Kasumi smiled larger when Rei blushed slightly and bowed her thanks before leaving.  She was a nice girl; it was really too bad what happened to her father.

                Rei hesitantly opened the door to the changing room and peeked in.  "Hello?" she called.  "Is anyone in there?"  After she was sure that the bath was not occupied by anyone else, she stepped into the room and closed the door softly.  Quickly taking off the robe, she shed her slippers, as well, and opened the door into the bathroom proper and entered.

                She washed herself quickly and descended into the tub of warm water with a sigh.  She loved warm baths.  She spent ten full minutes just soaking in the heat of the water in which she was sitting before reluctantly getting out of the tub and moving back to the changing room.  Drying herself off with a towel she found, she donned the bathrobe once more and cautiously peeked out into the hallway.  "Please," she heard Akane's voice from the living room.  "He's a boy, and all boys are perverts.  I just can't bring myself to hate him because of his father.  That doesn't mean that I have to trust him, though."

                "Akane."  That was Kasumi's voice.  "You shouldn't judge people before you know them."

                Nabiki spoke next.  "Yeah, sis.  Besides, he's kind of cute."

                "I thought you were just kidding!" exclaimed Akane with what Rei could only guess was surprise.  

                "So what if I wasn't?" Nabiki asked indignantly.  "It's not like you like him, anyway.  Now, if I was saying that I liked Rei, then I would expect you to react."

                "Nabiki!" came both Kasumi's and Akane's voices at the same time.

                Rei blushed and closed the door, cutting off the rest of the conversation.  Akane was a lesbian?  THAT certainly was unexpected.  She didn't know if she'd ever be comfortable around the girl, now that she knew that she was a lesbian.  She didn't know what to make of people in general, let alone homosexuals.  The girl took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her blush, and then stepped out into the hall.  

…And almost ran into Akane.  The Saotome girl yelped and dropped her shampoo as Akane merely took a step back.  Rei blushed again.  "Sorry," she murmured quickly as she bent down to pick up her bottle of shampoo.  As she grabbed it, she realized that her robe wasn't doing all that much to conceal her chest, what with her bending down and all, and the girl straightened instantly, flushing a deep crimson.  She hastily murmured another quick apology before hurrying upstairs and into her and Ranma's room.

Akane was confused by the girl's reaction.  They were both girls, right?  So why would it matter if she saw her breasts?  Oh, well.  Akane figured that Rei was just shy, or something.  She quickly ducked into the room for her after-workout bath.

Rei rushed into her room and closed the door.  For a number of moments after the door closed, she stood, facing the door, panting from fear.  She HATED being startled like that!  After she had composed herself, she moved back to her suitcase and took off her robe.  Luxuriating in the feel of her skin, she stretched the last of the stiffness out of her muscles and slowly turned around.  

…Just to come face-to-face with a sleepy Ranma.  "Waah!" yelped Rei again as she took a step back.  Unfortunately, her suitcase was right behind her, and she tripped.  In a last ditch effort to save herself from a rather painful fall, she grabbed onto Ranma's shirt.  The boy, however, was not prepared for that, and so they were both sent crashing to the ground.

Ranma's mind was still half-asleep until the fall.  Abruptly, he was wide-awake, and he flailed his arms to try to again catch his balance, but to no avail.  He closed his eyes in anticipation of the upcoming impact and stuck his arms out to try to stop his face from hitting the floor.  Instead of a hardwood floor, though, his hands met soft flesh.  His eyes shot open and immediately locked onto Rei's eyes, which were as wide as they could possibly go.  He looked at her red face, he looked down to where his hands were, and he jumped up, blushing furiously himself.  "Gaah!  I'm sorry, Rei!  I didn't mean to!"  He turned around so that his sister could dress.  "I'm really sorry, Rei.  I just fell, and I tried to brace myself for the impact, but…well, you know what happened.  Sorry."  Suddenly, he felt something strike his head extremely hard.

"Damnit, Ranma!  Don't ever do that to me again!" Rei screamed, whacking Ranma with his hockey stick.

"Ow!" yelped Ranma as he tried to fend off the blows raining upon him.  "I'm sorry, Rei!  I didn't mean to see you naked!"

She stopped hitting him, her breasts rising and falling with her deep breaths.  "I don't care about that, Ranma!  You're my brother!  What I'm talking about is startling me!  Don't you EVER do that again!"  

Ranma just stared at his sister in amazement.  He was about to say something, but the door opened, and Nabiki and Kasumi stuck their heads in.  "What's going on?" they chorused.  

Rei let out a high-pitched, "Yipe!" and dove for the blankets, trying to cover herself.

Ranma flopped onto his back and slipped back into English.  "I fucking hate this place already."

Rei replied from under a blanket in the same language, "I agree."

+++++++

                Ranma Saotome lazily stretched and looked around the room.  A dresser had been provided each of them, so they would have a place to store their clothes, and they had spent the entire morning unpacking.  Rei had collapsed into tears several times, and Ranma had been forced to stop his own unpacking to soothe her.  They had finally finished, though, and they were luxuriating in the warmth of the sunlight that streaked in through the open window in their room.  "Rei?" Ranma asked softly, speaking in English.

                "Hmm?" replied Rei, who again had her head pillowed on her brother's chest.

                The boy smirked and lightly wrapped his arms around her.  "Are you looking forward to school, Rei?"  The girl shuddered in his arms, so he hugged her to his chest.  "Rei, I know it'll take some time to get used to this place, but-"

                "No, Ranma," interrupted Rei.  "No.  This will never be my home.  This will never be OUR home."  She looked up to her brother with a profound sadness in her eyes.  "No matter how long you and I stay here, Minnesota will always be our home.  As soon as we're old enough, you and I are going back to our house, okay?  Promise."  Her eyes had shifted from sad to pleading.  "Please, Ranma.  Promise me we'll go home as soon as you turn 18."

                Ranma closed his eyes.  "Rei, we can't.  You…you know why we can't, too."

                The girl shook her head emphatically.  "No!  I refuse to believe that Dad was a yakuza thug!" she said loudly.

                "Sssh!" whispered Ranma.  "You don't want the Tendos to hear, do you?"  Rei just looked at him with that sad look on her face, and Ranma pressed his little sister against his body again.  "Rei, you know the dangers we'd have if we ever went back there.  I can't do that to you.  I can't make you live your life in fear.  It's better if we just stay here, Rei."  

                Rei buried her face in Ranma's chest and shuddered again.  "I know," she whispered after a time.  "But…I miss Edina, I miss Dad, I miss my friends, I…I…"

                The Saotome boy lifted his sister's chin so that he could look into her eyes.  "I miss all of that, too, Rei.  But we can't go back, and you know it.  The best thing would be to just accept the fact that it's all gone and move on with our lives."  He put a finger to her lips to forestall any comment she might have made and pressed on.  "It's okay to miss it, and it's okay to cry, but it's not okay to let memories of the past get in the way of your present."  Rei nodded sadly and put her face back onto Ranma's chest, causing the boy to sigh regretfully.  He wished Rei didn't have to go through that kind of shit.

                There came a knock on the door suddenly, and Ranma called, "C'mon in!"  He looked around to see Kasumi entering the room daintily - she always moved daintily - and saw her smile as she regarded himself and Rei.

                "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to interrupt.  I'll come back later."  She turned to go.

                Ranma hastily said, "Wait!"  He knew that Rei probably wouldn't like this, but she had to start to get to know some people, and Kasumi seemed the best place to start.  "Would you like to sit down and talk with us for a while?"

                Kasumi smiled and turned around again.  "I'd be delighted to, Ranma."  She had actually been hoping to be able to talk to the two Saotome siblings.  She wanted to make it readily apparent that they were going to be members of the Tendo household, and the first step to doing that was to make them feel comfortable.  Kasumi closed the door then moved to a vacant cushion next to Ranma and she sat down, adjusting her skirts.

                Ranma sat up and placed his back against the wall, keeping Rei clutched to his breast.  He knew that Rei would want the support if they were going to be talking to a stranger.  "Thanks, Kasumi," Ranma said politely and with a smile.  

                "It's my pleasure," replied Kasumi with an equal level of politeness and formality.  She was impressed with how well he and his sister knew Japanese, truth be told.  They even knew when to use different forms of the language.  "Is there anything in particular about which you wanted to speak?"

                Rei's face was hidden in Ranma's chest, so her voice was muffled, but Ranma could make out the English words, "Does she have to be here, big brother?"

                Ranma put his face next to her ear and whispered, "Yes, she does, Rei.  It's important that you and I start involving ourselves with the family.  And we shouldn't talk in English anymore.  It's rude."  He looked back to the eldest Tendo woman and smiled apologetically.  "I'm sorry about that.  No, I was just hoping we could chat.  Maybe we could start off by learning a bit about you?"

                Kasumi's smile widened at this.  She was used to people asking her how she was, but she hadn't been actually asked about herself for a long time.  It felt good.  "Well, Ranma, I graduated from high school last year, and instead of going on to college, I decided to stay and take care of the family."  
                "Why is that?" asked Ranma.  "Sorry if I interrupted," he quickly apologized, realizing what he had done.

                "No, no, it's alright," the woman cooed with an affectionate gleam in her eyes.  This boy was extremely polite!  She could tell that he would make a good husband.  She blushed slightly at that thought.  What was she thinking?  "If you have any questions at all, Ranma, don't hesitate to ask," she said, half because she actually wanted Ranma to ask questions and half to take his attention off of the blush that had started to creep across her face.  Lord, she was acting strangely!  "I just decided that my family was more important than college.  There wasn't much more to my decision than that, really."

                Ranma smiled and looked to his sister.  "I know what you mean," he replied quietly.

                Kasumi couldn't help but giggle at that.  Oh, the boy was so cute!  She could definitely see herself married to a man like Ranma someday.  That thought caused her to blush again, deeper this time.  What had gotten into her?

                "Kasumi?  Why are you blushing?" asked Ranma curiously.  Rei shifted her head so that one eye could see Kasumi while the rest of her face was still hiding in Ranma's chest.

                That question, of course, just made Kasumi blush even more.  "Oh, nothing, Ranma," she lied, trying to stop her flush.  "Nothing at all.  I'm just a little warm, that's all."  In December, Kasumi was WARM?  She kicked herself mentally for that slip-up.

                "Oh, I'm sorry.  Would you like me to open the door?" Ranma offered.  "It would circulate the air a bit more."  He didn't think it was hot, but he didn't want Kasumi being uncomfortable, either.

                Kasumi actually had to bow her head she was blushing so badly.  Not only was the boy polite, but he was attractive and compassionate, too!  Her hands were clasped together in her lap to keep them from flying to her cheeks to hide the blush.  "No, that's perfectly alright, Ranma," said Kasumi weakly.  "I'll be fine."

                "No, Kasumi, it's okay."  He stood up, gently moving his brown-haired sister off of his chest, and moved to the door.  He opened it about halfway, and then returned to sit next to his sister, who immediately latched onto his arm.  

                Rei was glaring daggers at Kasumi.  Did the woman think she could take Ranma from her?  Rei would've liked to see her try.  Ranma was hers, damnit, and she wasn't gonna lose him to some…some…Japanese hussy!

                Ranma studied Kasumi intently for a moment.  Her blush covered her entire face and neck, and Ranma thought he could even see traces of red on the backs of her arms and hands.  Maybe she was sick?  "Kasumi?" asked Ranma after a moment.  "Are you feeling alright?  You're not sick, are you?"

                Kasumi couldn't help herself.  She giggled and put her hands to her mouth.  "Oh, no, Ranma.  I feel fine.  Really, I do.  But thank you for asking."  She demurely glanced at him from beneath her bangs and almost giggled again at the concern she saw in those brown orbs.  What on God's green earth was wrong with her?!?  

                "Are you totally sure?" he asked, leaning forward to place his hand on her forehead.  "You seem a bit warm to me."

                Kasumi nearly swooned when Ranma placed his hand on her bare skin.  She felt an electric jolt run through her entire body, and she had to fight to suppress a shiver.  Her breathing was coming in shallow, ragged gasps, and her hands were working at each other furiously.  "I-" she started, then had to swallow.  "I think I'm going to go and check my temperature, then," she said as she took Ranma's hand and moved it away from her forehead.  Lord, she didn't want to let go!  She stood up and unnecessarily adjusted her dress.  "I'm sorry.  I hope we'll get to talk again sometime."  

                Ranma stood as well.  "Do you need anything?  I'm more than willing to help."

                The Tendo woman had to grip her dress to keep from putting her hands to her face again.  "No, thank you, Ranma.  I'll be fine."  She hastily turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

                Ranma turned back to his sister.  "That was strange," he commented as he sat back down next to Rei.

                Rei just gave him a flat stare.  "She was all over you, Ranma."

                Ranma stared back blankly.  "Ya think?"

+++++++

                Kasumi stood in the hallway just outside of Ranma and Rei's room, leaning against the wall with her hands clasped to her chest.  She was still flushed red, and her breaths were still coming in shallow gasps, but she was out of the room, and that was all that mattered to her at the moment.  What had she been thinking?  Kasumi NEVER acted like that!  NO ONE ever acted like that, not to Kasumi's knowledge, anyway!  Well, not in real life.  In those romance novels she was always reading, all the women acted like she had.  Of course, all of the women in those stories eventually ended up sleeping with the man around whom she acted like that, too.

                Kasumi's eyes widened as she thought about the implications of such a statement.  "Oh!  Oh, my!" she whispered breathily, her face twice as red as it had been before.  She imagined Ranma without a shirt on, like the men on the covers of her romance novels, and she pictured herself lying in front of him, clad in only a flimsy bathrobe, and she imagined him leaning down, leaning over her, his body lying on top of hers, his lips…"Oh, MY!" exclaimed the woman.  Her eyes as wide as they could go, she hurried downstairs to clean something.  Kasumi NEEDED to clean something.

////////////////////////

Okay, tell me what ya think, please.  It's something I always say at the end of fics I post, so...yeah.  Tell me what y'all think, if you'd like.  I'd surely appreciate it.

Oh! A little update on my other story, To Know Pain: I've been working on the next chapter, but it's going fairly slowly, for some reason. I'm sorry about that, but believe me, it bothers me more than it does you. I really want to get it out, but it just seems to be getting harder and harder to write. Bah. I SHOULD (emphasize should, because I make no promises) have it out within the month. Sorry for the long delay. And yes, this story and a few others have been little side projects as I have been working on TKP. I need to write something, damnit, and if I can't write TKP, I'm gonna write something else! GET OFF MY BACK!!! Woah. Sorry. Got a little carried away there. Anywho, yeah, it should be out soon, so please don't kill me to hard. 

Ja!


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